Oil level gauge

Abstract

To provide an oil level gauge allowing an oil level to be observed visually and easily.SOLUTION: An oil level gauge comprises a hose having light transmission properties and flexibility, a handle provided in a base end of the hose, and an opening / closing mechanism for opening or closing the hose, the handle includes a connection hole connected to the base end of the hose, and the opening / closing mechanism includes a valve element supported movable between a closing position for closing one of the base end and end of the hose in a state being connected to the connection hole, and an opening position for opening the one of them, and an urging section for biasing the valve element to the closing position. Oil is sucked into the hose by moving the valve element from the closing position to the opening position against biasing force of the biasing section in a state in which the end of the hose is immersed into the oil, and the oil is held in the hose by moving the valve element from the opening position to the closing position against biasing force of the biasing section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil level gauge. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART An oil level gauge for checking the oil level is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-255195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The worker must visually check the oil level, so if it is difficult to visually check the oil level, the worker may misjudge the oil level.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an oil level gauge that allows easy visual inspection of the oil level. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above object can be achieved by an oil level gauge comprising: a light-transmitting and flexible hose; a handle provided at a base end of the hose; and an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the hose, wherein the handle includes a communication hole that communicates with the base end of the hose; the opening / closing mechanism includes a valve body that is supported so as to be able to move between a closed position that closes one of the base end and the tip end of the hose when inserted into the communication hole and an open position that opens the other end; and a biasing unit that biases the valve body to the closed position, wherein the oil is sucked into the hose by moving the valve body from the closed position to the open position against the biasing force of the biasing unit when the tip of the hose is immersed in oil, and the oil is retained in the hose by moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position in accordance with the biasing force of the biasing unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] To provide an oil level gauge that allows easy visual checking of the oil level. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the oil level gauge of this embodiment. [Figure 2] 2A to 2D are explanatory diagrams of how to use the oil level gauge. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a modified oil level gauge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an oil level gauge 1 of this embodiment. The oil level gauge 1 includes a hose 10, a handle 20, and an opening / closing mechanism 30. The hose 10 is optically transparent, flexible, and cylindrical. The handle 20 is attached to a base end 11 of the hose 10. The handle 20 is annular. The handle 20 has an atmosphere communication hole 21 formed therein, which communicates with the base end 11 of the hose 10. The opening / closing mechanism 30 is attached to the handle 20. The opening / closing mechanism 30 includes a valve body 40 and a spring 50. The valve body 40 includes a pressing portion 41, a shaft portion 43, and a rubber member 45. The pressing portion 41 is disk-shaped. One end of the shaft portion 43 is connected to the back surface of the pressing portion 41. The shaft portion 43 is inserted into the atmosphere communication hole 21. The rubber member 45 is fixed to the other end of the shaft portion 43. The rubber member 45 is in the shape of a disk with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the atmosphere communication hole 21 .

[0010] The spring 50 is coil-shaped. The spring 50 is disposed between the rear surface of the pressing portion 41 and the inner surface of the handle 20. The shaft 43 is inserted through the spring 50. The spring 50 biases the pressing portion 41 so as to move it away from the inner surface of the handle 20. This causes the rubber member 45 to close the atmosphere vent 21. As described above, the handle 20 is attached to the base end 11 of the hose 10 so that the base end 11 of the hose 10 communicates with the atmosphere vent 21. Therefore, the rubber member 45 closes the atmosphere vent 21, thereby closing the base end 11 of the hose 10. In other words, the valve element 40 shown in FIG. 1 is in a closed position in which the hose 10 is closed. The biasing force of the spring 50 maintains the valve element 40 in the closed position. The spring 50 is an example of a biasing portion. Although the spring 50 is coil-shaped, a plate-shaped spring may be used instead of the spring 50.

[0011] 2A to 2D are explanatory diagrams of how to use the oil level gauge 1. As shown in FIG. 2A, with the valve element 40 in the closed position, the tip 12 of the hose 10 is immersed in the oil L via a guide tube 110 provided in the vehicle transmission 100. In this state, the air inside the hose 10 prevents oil from being drawn into the hose 10. As shown in FIG. 2B, the operator presses the pressing portion 41 of the valve element 40 downward against the biasing force of the spring 50. This causes the rubber member 45 to open the atmosphere communication hole 21. That is, by moving the valve element 40 to the open position that opens the hose 10, the base end 11 of the hose 10 is opened to the atmosphere. As a result, oil up to the same height as the liquid level of the oil L is drawn into the hose 10. As shown in FIG. 2C, when the operator releases the valve element 40, the biasing force of the spring 50 causes the valve element 40 to move back to the closed position. This retains the oil within the hose 10. As shown in Fig. 2D, the oil level gauge 1 can be pulled up from the oil L while the oil La is held within the hose 10. Because the hose 10 is optically transparent, the oil La held within the hose 10 can be easily seen. In this way, the oil level gauge 1 makes it easy to visually check the oil level.

[0012] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a modified oil level gauge 1a. Unlike the oil level gauge 1 described above, the valve body 40a of the opening / closing mechanism 30a of the modified oil level gauge 1a has a wire 44 attached to the tip of a shaft 43 that protrudes downward from the atmosphere communication hole 21. The wire 44 is flexible and is made of, for example, metal. The wire 44 extends inside the hose 10. A conical rubber member 45a is attached to the tip of the wire 44. The tip of the wire 44 is attached to the apex of the conical rubber member 45a. The outer diameter of the bottom surface of the rubber member 45a is larger than the inner diameter of the hose 10. When the valve body 40a is in the closed position, the rubber member 45a closes the tip 12 of the hose 10. When the valve body 40a is in the open position, the rubber member 45a moves downward away from the tip 12 of the hose 10, opening the tip 12 of the hose 10.

[0013] The modified oil level gauge 1a is suitable for use when there is a large amount of oil. When there is a large amount of oil, the hose 10 is deeply submerged in the oil. Therefore, when the valve body 40a moves to the open position, the rubber member 45a moves away from the tip 12, allowing a large amount of oil to flow into the hose 10. When the valve body 40a moves to the closed position again, the rubber member 45a closes the tip 12. Here, a downward force is applied to the rubber member 45a by the large amount of oil in the hose 10, but an upward force is applied to the rubber member 45a by the biasing force of the spring 50 to resist this. As a result, a large amount of oil is retained in the hose 10.

[0014] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0015] 1, 1a Oil level gauge 10 Hose 11 Proximal end 12 Tip 20 Handle 30, 30a opening / closing mechanism 40 Valve body 50 Spring (biasing part)

Claims

[Claim 1] a hose having optical transparency and flexibility; a handle provided at the base end of the hose; an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the hose, the handle includes a communication hole communicating with the base end of the hose, the opening and closing mechanism includes a valve body supported so as to be movable between a closed position that closes one of the base end and the tip end of the hose when the hose is inserted into the communication hole and an open position that opens the one of the base end and the tip end of the hose, and a biasing portion that biases the valve body to the closed position, an oil level gauge in which the oil is sucked into the hose by moving the valve body from the closed position to the open position against the biasing force of the biasing part while the tip of the hose is immersed in oil, and the oil is retained in the hose by moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position in accordance with the biasing force of the biasing part.

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